


Clouds Lift Our Hearts

by PreseaMoon



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Gen, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-08
Updated: 2015-04-08
Packaged: 2018-03-21 23:08:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3707031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PreseaMoon/pseuds/PreseaMoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Koumei babysits Hakuryuu.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Clouds Lift Our Hearts

Based on the way Hakuryuu clings to Kouen’s leg, hiding behind him, Koumei already thinks this isn’t going to go well. Before even seeing Hakuryuu, Koumei didn’t think this would go well. But watching Hakuryuu means he’s excused from meeting with his tutors, so there wasn’t really a question of whether he’d do it or not.

Kouen has to coax Hakuryuu out, and he kneels before him to explain the situation quietly, how he’s been abruptly called away but hopefully won’t be gone too long. Then he takes his hand as he directs attention to Koumei. “You’ve met my brother Koumei before, haven’t you, Your Highness?”

Hakuryuu looks up at him but quickly drops his gaze back to Kouen, all without a word. They have met, although they’ve never spoken or had to interact in any form. In fact, their meeting mostly consisted of being in the same room at the same time and the older princes wanting to acquaint them. That time also featured Hakuryuu keeping out of sight by hiding behind whichever of his siblings was closest.

With one last promise to return soon as he’s able, and a warning look to Koumei, Kouen leaves them.

Koumei looks at Hakuryuu.

Hakuryuu looks back.

Neither of them moves nor says anything. Not even assessing one another, just staring, like neither of them can be quite sure what’s supposed to happen next when what happens next should be fairly obvious.

It’s a silence that doesn’t fall into either comfortable or uneasy. For that reason, they continue to stand in the middle of the hall for the next few minutes. And then Koumei realizes they can do this in his room and is about to lead them there, is already taking a step back and turning away, when Hakuryuu’s hand extends out towards him, palm up.

Koumei peeks over, half expecting to see a wound of some sort half expecting there to be some toy or marble, and upon finding nothing but undamaged skin, questions, “Your Highness?”

Hakuryuu frowns. “Brother Yuu says to hold hands. En does, too.”

They probably aren’t going to get separated traversing the few hallways it takes to get to his room, but Koumei agrees anyway and proceeds to enclose Hakuryuu’s hand in his own. In return, he’s offered a tentative smile that fades after he takes too long to reciprocate.

Koumei doesn’t have an issue with watching Hakuryuu. He’d probably have done it even without the lure of skipping lessons, honestly, but at the same time he questions if a four year old should really be left in his care. Surely his mother is somewhere around here, though it makes sense that Kouen would be reluctant to search her out on such short notice. And despite Hakuryuu’s parents and siblings preferring him to be more familiar with family than servants, he’d be fine for a few hours with a stranger that’s not related to him.

There’s nothing in Koumei’s room for a child to play with, but he provides Hakuryuu parchment, ink, and a brush, thinking he can at the very least draw or practice calligraphy. He doesn’t know how Kouen passes time with him, and doesn’t want to ask in case it turns out to be something strenuous.

While Hakuryuu takes in the room, Koumei returns to his blankets, wraps them around him, and considers which of the three books he’s been reading to continue. From what little he’s heard, Hakuryuu is a rather conscientious child, so he’s not too concerned about him making a mess or touching things he shouldn’t like Kouha would. Still, he checks on him every thirty seconds or so, and typically finds him playing some private game, looking at the shelves, or pressed to the edge of the bed so just the upper half of his head shows as he stares.

Koumei doesn’t ask anything, reasoning that if he’s not crying or about to cry everything is probably fine. That’s when he realizes he’s not sure what he’ll do if Hakuryuu starts to cry.

And then, after about half an hour and Hakuryuu has gone back to wandering the room, there’s a little squeak from him, one of surprise, not fear, and Hakuryuu rushes over to the bed, leaning on it with both hands. His eyes skitter to where he came from and back to Koumei. With a shy smile he asks, “Are those your birds?”

“They are. Do you like birds, Your Highness?”

Hakuryuu takes a moment before deciding, yes, he does like birds, as well as several other animals that are nothing like birds. He’s particularly impressed that Koumei is allowed to keep so many of them in his room. When Koumei offers to take one out so he can pet it so long as he’s careful, Hakuryuu quickly declines.

This short interaction is apparently all it takes to get Hakuryuu to feel more at ease. He climbs onto the bed beside him, and then finds his way to join Koumei under his mountain of blankets. He wriggles close, practically into his lap, and grins at him.

One of his hands reaches out to point at the closest book. “What are you reading, Koumei?”

“This one is about battlefield tactics, this is about the effects different climates have on terrain, and this one is on the politics of Reim. Do you know what all those are?”

Hakuryuu shakes his head.

Koumei nods and tries to think of something to say that will catch his attention away from the books.

“En is your big brother, right?” Hakuryuu asks while settling against him in a way that lets him look up at Koumei.

Koumei moves slowly to lie down, bringing Hakuryuu, who pouts but doesn’t resist, with him. “That’s right.”

“Is he as good a big brother as Brother Yuu? Or Brother Ren?”

“He’s awful,” Koumei answers without considering how that will be taken until after he’s seen Hakuryuu’s half-heartbroken face. “Not like that. Like… I don’t know, what’s something you do that your brothers don’t like?”

“I dunno,” Hakuryuu says, sounding very distressed at not knowing.

Koumei sighs. “Never mind that. En is a good brother. He’s always there when you need him. And he’s there when you think you don’t need him but you do.” 

Hakuryuu makes a confused noise and moves closer. “I don’t get it. Koumei.”

Groaning, Koumei folds his arms around Hakuryuu. “You like naps, don’t you, Hakuryuu?”

“I dunno,” Hakuryuu says glumly, with suspicion. Despite the tone, his fingers find their way to hook into Koumei’s robe.

“Naps are good. They’re warm and help you to conserve energy.” He burrows them further into blankets, pulls the thickest blanket overhead to block out the light. “See?”

Hakuryuu fidgets but doesn’t pull away. “What about if it’s hot?”

“Then you use thinner blankets and sheets. An opening for air is good too. And if your brothers come to get you, say you’re so exhausted you can’t move, and that if you don’t rest now you won’t be able to move for a week.”

“I won’t be able to move for a week?”

“That’s right.”

“I don’t want to not move for a week.”

“That’s why it’s good to rest, Your Highness. Aren’t you sleepy? I’m so sleepy,” he says and yawns, prompting a yawn from Hakuryuu in return. 

Koumei can sense Hakuryuu’s hands hovering hesitantly before they push against his chest, first timidly. “Koumei.” Then firmly, accompanied by a slightly trembling, “Koumei.”

“If you nap now, you’ll get to see En sooner.”

Hakuryuu stills. Grabbing Koumei’s side to pull closer he says, “I like Koumei, too.”

Instead of saying anything, Koumei holds Hakuryuu closer. A body is much warmer than any number of blankets. His body is like a tiny furnace burning at just the right temperature.

Too soon after this—which is only too soon because sleep is always briefest during the day—Kouen returns. 

Koumei can hear his footsteps as they stop at his door to open it, tread in and immediately stop, and finally head for the bed at a quick pace. The cool air that rushes over them is unpleasant, and he pulls Hakuryuu on top of him as a makeshift blanket without thinking.

“Koumei,” is said with annoyance, but Kouen can’t really scold him when he never gave restrictions to what he could and couldn’t do with Hakuryuu. It was sort of there in that warning earlier, but looks can only convey so much. 

And then Kouen is gently nudging Hakuryuu to rouse him. “Your Highness. Hakuryuu, it’s time to go.”

It takes a few tries for Hakuryuu’s arms to himself steady on Koumei’s chest. He nearly falls when he rubs at his eyes and his other hand slides off to the bed. “But I won’t be able to move,” he mumbles.

“What?”

“Mei said—”

“Mei said it’s good for kids to get enough sleep,” Koumei interrupts even though it’s too late, as proven by the flat look his brother is giving him.

From there, Kouen picks Hakuryuu up and heads to the door. He gives Koumei a grateful nod before leaving. This was a favor, so maybe he won’t complain too much about Koumei filling Hakuryuu’s head with strange ideas. On the other hand Hakuryuu is the emperor’s son. Adding up to… definitely being reprimanded later, even though it was definitely harmless. Hakuyuu and Hakuren will probably find it funny.

Koumei rolls to the still warm spot Hakuryuu had been occupying. He pulls the blankets around him so they make a cave, and drops his face to the pillow. 

It wasn’t so bad, though, watching Hakuryuu. Not that he’ll volunteer to do it anytime soon, but if Hakuryuu wants to sleep beside him every now and then that’d be okay.


End file.
